Pita Pit opens inside Hudson party store

Just three weeks after it opened in Hudson, the new Pita Pit franchise location has a growing and loyal following, says owner Sukhi Singh.

Pita Pit, which opened March 8 inside Sukhi’s 127 Party Store at the corner of U.S. 127 and M-34, is a niche that Singh said until now was unfilled in the Hudson area.

Singh’s location is the second Pita Pit to open in a gas station/convenience store in the United States and the first such combination setup in Michigan, according to information released by Pita Pit USA.

“Most of the Pita Pits are on college campuses,” Singh said.

Singh said he was introduced to Pita Pit’s line of food when he visited a friend in Montreal and tried it.

“It’s really outstanding food,” he said.

Singh said his friend knew the founder of the company, and last July, Singh launched a plan to put a Pita Pit inside his store.

And Singh couldn’t be happier with the decision he made to take advantage of the newer franchise model.

“Everybody who has bought pitas so far has been back,” Singh said. “Some are coming in six days a week. This has been beyond my expectations.”

The success behind Singh’s business came from a determination to invest in the community after a difficult time in the nation’s history.

More than a decade ago, Singh worked as a limousine driver in New York City. He said the first man he served on Sept. 11, 2001, died that day in the terrorist attacks.

Looking for a fresh start to leave the memories of that day behind, and with friends in nearby Sturgis, Singh landed in Hudson. He eventually bought the gas station and party store and made an investment in the community.

“It brought the corner alive,” he said.

Singh’s dedication to community and customer satisfaction continues with the Pita Pit, located near the northwest corner of the party store.

Pita Pit, originally a Canadian business, was purchased in 2005, and Pita Pit USA was formed, according to Corey Bowman, vice president of franchise development for Pita Pit.

Singh offers a wide variety of pitas seven days a week with fresh ingredients daily and made to order on the spot.

The menu also “gives vegan and vegetarian people a choice other than a salad,” Singh said, including a spicy black bean, hummus or falafel pita.

“A lot of people want a healthy option,” he said.

In addition to pitas having a higher nutritional value than traditional fast food, Singh said the consumer can eat it without much concern for making a mess.

“It’s a self-contained meal,” he said. “You can walk down the street and eat it without it falling apart.”

As the summer season approaches, Singh said he is expecting to employ a total of 16 or 17 people at Pita Pit to keep up with the summer crowd.

“It is really good for the community if we can create some more jobs,” he said.

Customers can also download an app to their smartphone from www.pitapitusa.com to where they can place orders online and coordinate a time to pick up their food.

Singh said he plans to eventually add local delivery service to his Pita Pit location and set up a program where people can place orders for sports team fundraisers for any area school.

“We’re working on that,” he said.

Pita Pit is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week and can be reached at 448-4355, online at www.pitapitusa.com or by email at pitapithudson@gmail.com.

This article was written based on information provided by the business.

Lenawee in Business is a feature of The Daily Telegram business page for new businesses and businesses celebrating a major anniversary. If you have a story for a Lenawee in Business, call assistant news editor Sue Van Fleet at 265-5111, ext. 259, or email sue@lenconnect.com.